Whenever I think about communication within an organization the first thing that cross my mind is the organization culture. I worked for a multinational company in the bay area. We speak Mandarin among our team (14 people) most of the time except during meetings. When we're on the phone with other departments, we would speak English. This is our unique way of communicating with each other and we agreed that it's the most effective way.
One observation I have is that people act differently when speaking different languages. For instance, a colleague would voice out her opinion in Mandarin but would remain quiet during meetings. Most people would agree that communication is the key to success within an organization by keeping ideas flow. However, in the situation mentioned above, how should we encourage people from different ethnic or cultural background to speak their thoughts?
Some said email is the solution but I personally don't think it works. when things get busy at work, not many will find spare time to draft a lengthy email to explain their thoughts to others, and not many will read and respond to it anyway.
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2 comments:
In my department 80% are Chinese and they converse in Chinese most of the time. I can't understand what they are talking about so sometimes I feel a little uncomfortable. I notice that during meetings most are quiet as well and this makes me think that they are uncomfortable with their English. I agree that we should encourage everyone regardless of their ethnic and cultural backgrounds to voice their opinions, but I think here in the U.S. everyone should speak English in the workplace. I don't mind the occasional conversations in a different language, but all the time is a little frustrating. I don't think it promotes group unity and only succeeds in leaving out people. I do understand that not everyone is comfortable with English and perhaps companies should require them to take extra courses, workshops, etc? In this way I think email is a good alternative to all this but as you mention most do not have time write lengthy emails.
Most people do not realize that I am fluent in Mandarin. Although I can understand the conversations around me, I used to be rather annoyed because I thought it was rude of them to speak in a language that not everyone can understand. Now that I am older, I see that it is a way for them to feel more connected and bonded. As for the insecurity, I wouldn't blame anyone for feeling shy to speak in another language. How many times have we heard of or encountered a shallow individual snickering or mocking another person's accent or English skills? Growing up in Southern California I have heard the term "FOB" thrown around as if it were perfectly OK to call any English Language Learners that.
If it is really a big deal, then it is fine to politely approach the group and ask if they could include you in the conversation if it is work related. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if they knew how much it bothered their co-workers
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